Tennessee SR-22 requirements after a DUI
Tennessee requires an SR-22 filing after a DUI; the period is set by the state rule quoted below.
What Tennessee says
SR-22 (Tennessee uses the SR-22 form). The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Financial Responsibility Laws page lists 'SR-22 Insurance' and a $50 SR-22 fee among the DUI reinstatement requirements, and its Restricted License page requires SR-22 liability insurance for a DUI restricted license. The Department does not set a fixed number of years: both the Financial Responsibility Laws page and the Department's 'Do I need SR-22 Insurance?' article state that SR-22 insurance must be maintained for the length of the suspension or revocation period, after which it may be cancelled if not required on another suspension; sr22Years is therefore null. Cancelling the SR-22 before the requirement is complete can result in suspension for Failure to Maintain Future Proof of Financial Responsibility (T.C.A. 55-12-126).
“Reinstatement fees : $103 Reinstatement fee, $50 SR-22 Fee, $75 Failure to Surrender License Fee (if applicable)”
Ignition interlock statute (see the state page): Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-425
At a glance
| Filing required after a DUI | Yes |
|---|---|
| Form | SR-22 |
| Filing period | See the state's wording above |
| License reinstatement fee | $103 |
| Licensing agency | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security |
Which filing, and what triggers it
Form: SR-22
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) calls it SR-22 insurance (its Reinstatements page heads the section 'Guidance for SR22 high liability insurance'). TDOSHS states the policy must be filed electronically with the Department by an insurance company licensed through the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance to issue motor vehicle liability coverage in Tennessee; its Restricted License page states a standard insurance policy or other documentation is not acceptable in place of an SR-22.
“How to get SR-22: The insurance policy MUST be filed by an insurance company electronically to the department and be licensed through the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance to issue motor vehicle liability insurance coverage in Tennessee.”
What triggers it
TDOSHS lists SR-22 insurance among the reinstatement requirements for a DUI conviction (revocation under T.C.A. 55-10-401) and separately for an Implied Consent conviction (refusal; suspension under T.C.A. 55-10-406). TDOSHS's Safety Support article lists DUI, Implied Consent/Refuse to Test and Underage Driving While Impaired among the violations requiring SR-22 insurance, and its Restricted License page requires SR-22 insurance to obtain a restricted license during the revocation.
“Here is list of potential reasons you will need SR22 Insurance: DUI Accident Claim Unsatisfied Judgement Accumulation of Points/Convictions Implied Consent/Refuse to Test Underage Driving While Impaired”
How long it stays on file, and from when
See the state's wording, the source does not state when the period starts.
TDOSHS does not set a fixed number of years: it states the SR-22 must be maintained for the length of the suspension or revocation period (example: a one-year revocation is a one-year SR-22 requirement; a first DUI revocation is 1 year under T.C.A. 55-10-401) and that the insurance can be maintained with a restricted license or upon reinstatement. Once maintained for the length of the period it may be cancelled if not required on another suspension. No TDOSHS page names the event from which the period is counted.
“Length: The insurance MUST be maintained for the length of the suspension or revocation period. Example: One (1) year revocation is a one (1) year SR-22 requirement When you can get it: The insurance can be maintained with a restricted license or upon reinstatement.”
If the policy is cancelled or lapses
TDOSHS states that when the insurer reports a cancellation (SR-26) before the requirement is complete, the driver is sent a notice of proposed suspension; a new SR-22 prepared after the date of the notice must be submitted within 20 days to avoid suspension for Failure to Maintain Future Proof of Financial Responsibility (T.C.A. 55-12-126), and a hearing may be requested within 20 days to show the SR-22 was not cancelled. If suspended, reinstatement requires an SR-22 prepared after the notice date, surrender of the license, a $65 reinstatement fee, a $50 SR-22 fee and a $75 failure-to-surrender fee if applicable, and the driver must refile and maintain the SR-22. Whether the period restarts is not stated.
“When the insurance company reports a cancellation (SR-26) of the SR-22 insurance to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the driver is sent a notice of proposed suspension. A new SR-22 form prepared after the date of the notice must be submitted to the Department within 20 days”
Non-owner and out-of-state policies
| Non-owner (operator) policy | Pending verification |
|---|---|
| Out-of-state insurer or resident | Not accepted |
None of the TDOSHS pages cited here (the Financial Responsibility Laws page, the Reinstatements page SR22 guidance, the Restricted License page and the Safety Support SR-22 article) states whether a non-owner (operator's) policy satisfies the DUI SR-22 requirement. The Financial Responsibility Laws page states, for crash-related revocations only, that an employer may provide SR-22 insurance on behalf of the driver for a work-purposes restricted license. Tenn. Code Ann. title 55, chapter 12 has not been reviewed on this point, so the question remains open.
“Restricted License? Yes, if driver satisfies all reinstatement requirements except SR-22 insurance. An employer may provide SR-22 insurance on behalf of the driver and the driver may obtain a restricted license for work purposes only.”
TDOSHS states the SR-22 must be filed by an insurance company licensed through the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance to issue motor vehicle liability coverage in Tennessee, and its Restricted License page lists 'The SR-22 insurance is not for the State of Tennessee or the company is not licensed in Tennessee' as a reason an application is rejected. For drivers who live in another state, TDOSHS does not accept an out-of-state filing in place of the Tennessee SR-22: it states out-of-state residents may be eligible to have the SR-22 requirement waived by submitting a waiver filled out and signed by the home state's driver service office, and that if the waiver cannot be signed, SR-22 insurance is required.
“MUST be filed by an insurance company electronically to the department and be licensed through the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance to issue motor vehicle liability insurance coverage in Tennessee. ... Out of state residents may be eligible to have their SR-22 requirement waived.”
Liability limits the filing certifies
Minimum limits: 25/50/25
TDOSHS states the minimum limits of liability under T.C.A. 55-12-102(12)(D) are $25,000 for each injury or death per accident, $50,000 total injuries or deaths per accident and $25,000 property damage per accident. TDOSHS calls the SR-22 'high liability insurance' but states no separate higher limits for it, and no uninsured-motorist or PIP component is stated.
“The Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 55-12-102(12)(D) references minimum limits of liability for the state of Tennessee which currently are: $25,000 for each injury or death per accident $50,000 for total injuries or deaths per accident $25,000 for property damage per accident”
What the agency charges for the filing
Agency fee: $50
TDOSHS lists a $50 SR-22 Fee among the DUI reinstatement fees, alongside the $103 reinstatement fee and a $75 failure-to-surrender fee if applicable; the same $50 SR-22 fee appears in every SR-22-related reinstatement list on the page. It is a fee TDOSHS collects, separate from the license reinstatement fee; the page does not describe what the fee covers beyond its name.
“Reinstatement fees : $103 Reinstatement fee, $50 SR-22 Fee, $75 Failure to Surrender License Fee (if applicable)”
How the filing is confirmed
TDOSHS states a driver can check whether SR-22 insurance is still required by going to the reinstatement requirements page on e-Services: if the SR22 requirement is not listed, it is no longer required. Reinstatement documents can be submitted online, and the Financial Responsibility Office reviews them within up to 5 business days. The TDOSHS pages describing the filing are the Reinstatements page (SR22 Guidance) and the Safety Support article 'Do I need SR-22 Insurance?'.
Agency page: safetysupport.tn.gov
“Step 1: Go to reinstatements requirements page on e-services located here . Step 2: Look for the SR22 requirement if it is not listed on the requirements page you are no longer required to carry SR22 insurance.”
Financial-responsibility statute
“Failure to Maintain SR-22 Insurance Drivers who are required to carry and maintain SR-22 insurance may have their driving privileges suspended if their insurance company reports a cancellation (SR-26) prior to completing the requirement. ... Authority: T.C.A. 55-12-126”
How an SR-22 works in general — who files it, why premiums differ, and what an SR-26 is — is explained in the glossary; everything above is specific to this state and quoted from its sources.
Questions about SR-22 in Tennessee
- How long must SR-22 insurance be kept in Tennessee after a first DUI?
- TDOSHS does not set a fixed number of years. Its Reinstatements page states the SR-22 must be maintained for the length of the suspension or revocation period (a one-year revocation is a one-year SR-22 requirement), and its Financial Responsibility Laws page lists a one-year revocation for a first DUI under T.C.A. 55-10-401. Once maintained for that period it may be cancelled if not required on another suspension.
- What does Tennessee charge in connection with an SR-22 after a DUI?
- The TDOSHS Financial Responsibility Laws page lists, for a DUI, a $103 reinstatement fee, a $50 SR-22 fee and a $75 failure-to-surrender-license fee if applicable, plus court certification, SR-22 insurance, surrender of the Tennessee license and drug/alcohol certification if applicable. The $50 SR-22 fee is charged by TDOSHS and is separate from the insurance policy itself.
- What happens in Tennessee if the SR-22 policy is cancelled early?
- TDOSHS states that when the insurer reports a cancellation (SR-26) before the requirement is complete, the driver receives a notice of proposed suspension and must submit a new SR-22 prepared after the notice date within 20 days to avoid suspension under T.C.A. 55-12-126. If suspended, reinstatement requires a new SR-22, license surrender, a $65 reinstatement fee and a $50 SR-22 fee.
- What does it cost to reinstate a Tennessee license after a DUI?
- TDOSHS's Financial Responsibility Laws page lists DUI reinstatement fees of $103 (reinstatement fee), $50 (SR-22 fee) and, if applicable, $75 (failure to surrender license fee), along with serving the revocation period, court certification, SR-22 insurance, surrender of the Tennessee license and, if applicable, drug/alcohol certification.
- How long is SR-22 insurance required after a Tennessee DUI?
- TDOSHS states that when a violation requires SR-22 insurance, the proof must be maintained with the Department for the length of the suspension or revocation period, and may be maintained with a restricted license or upon reinstatement. If the SR-22 policy is cancelled before the requirement is completed, driving privileges may be suspended for failure to maintain future proof of financial responsibility (T.C.A. 55-12-126).
Sources
- TDOSHS – Financial Responsibility Laws (minimum limits; DUI and implied-consent reinstatement requirements and fees; Failure to Maintain SR-22 Insurance, T.C.A. 55-12-126)
- TDOSHS – Reinstatements (SR22 Guidance: how filed, length, cancellation, out-of-state waiver; e-Services requirements)
- TDOSHS – Restricted License Information (SR-22 required for a restricted license; rejection if insurer not licensed in Tennessee)
- TDOSHS Safety Support – Do I need SR-22 Insurance? (violations requiring SR-22; how to check on e-Services)